


Toxic

by KyeAbove



Series: The Reinforcement Of Agony AU [137]
Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-11-14 03:18:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18044474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KyeAbove/pseuds/KyeAbove
Summary: August 17th, 1981. Cade Vale, New York. Agony:OverJoey ends up at the arcade with one of his grandsons, and one game brings back old memories. Odd, for a game that’s only been out relatively recently.





	Toxic

**Author's Note:**

> I was gonna put off post-studio fics for the series until all other parts were done because spoilers and suspense and all but aside from Joey making it out alive and raising kids, not much else is spoiled aside from anything that's relevant to the fic. I just couldn’t pass up the Pac-Man thing from the last posted main series fic _What About Now,_ quite required to read to properly understand this, and waiting whatever amount of time to finish up the studio parts would have meant the explanation is less meaningful. 
> 
> Testing out too a new timestamping in the description. Any Agony AU fics that are post studio will have ‘Agony: Over’ showed. Although this still requires having read the Agony to appreciate it being over.
> 
> Oh, Joey’s grandson Benji is a perfect Bendy hence the character tag, but that will be explained better in later posted stories. He's just called Benji because Joey's son wanted some say in naming his first child.

~August 17th, 1981~

* * *

Joey really thought when his grandson conned his father into believing he was sick and needed to stay home from a vacation the rest of his family had gone on, that they’d spend their days at Joey’s home, not going places.

Poor grandpa Joey was wrong. No matter that he was only physically in his mid-forties and in better physical health then he’d ever been. His grandson had instead chosen to drag him out of the house, to hang out at the arcade. 

The boy though was certainly not allowed to go alone, so Joey held Benji‘s hand and Benji dragged Joey along with him in his desired direction.

“We’ll play all the machines! And we’ll get food...are you listening?” Joey snapped to attention. 

“What?”

“Grandpa, you’re silly.”

“Oh am I now?”

“Yes, ‘cause you have a mullet.”

Joey didn’t alter his appearance anymore. His back to curly brown hair was still as thick as it always was naturally, although starting to grey a little. He wore his hair messy in the back, but presentable at the front in case he had to tie up his hair for important occurrences and look nice. Which did look somewhat as a mullet. 

“Fair point, Ben.”    
  
Benji looked happy from the validation, and then continued dragging Joey behind him, chattering off again. Joey too was always fond of Benji, and not because of his form. Out of all of Joey’s grandkids, he was the most interesting in personality. 

So when they reached the arcade, Joey was sure they’d have a pleasant enough time. When they entered, Joey kept an eye out for any sort of looks. Most in town never questioned Benji’s appearance, used to the weirdness that had been brought upon the town, but one could never be too careful. 

The arcade was filled with kids, and both Benji and Joey looked out of place, but Benji kept mood high, having them bounce from machine to machine, always asking Joey for more coins. It was all going rather well. 

That is, until they approached one machine, and a chill ran down Joey’s spine. The maze preview already looked familiar enough but when Benji stood onto his stool and started playing, Joey felt more haunted. 

Back to how he’d had a hallucination when he was eleven, and he saw everything he was seeming Benji so casually play now, and he’d been so scared of what he’d been seeing. The maze, the ghosts, the yellow circle. His grandma said that his encounter with an old god as child left him with a slight break in the time/space, that most often manifested during his unrelated hallucinations, but to see it now, even finding it so innocent-

**!**

Joey only found he’d fallen and curled up on the ground when he became aware of the crowd gathered around him. Benji was nowhere to be seen and then, 

“He’s there!” And Benji broke through the crowd, pulling behind him Joey’s lover, Niklas. 

Niklas crouched down and held Joey’s hand, rubbing it. Everyone in town knew about their romance, but nobody dared say anything against it because of lingering fear of Joey. 

“What happened here?”

“It’s what it is. I remember, when I was eleven, seeing…”

Niklas placed a gentle kiss upon Joey’s lips, and smiled in a comforting way. “I’ll try my best to understand if you’re willing to talk.”

“Not here...not today...” Joey looked around at all the people looking both concerned and fearful. 

“Of course not.”    
  
Niklas helped Joey up onto his unsteady feet, and Benji walked close to the lovers as they left the arcade. Calmed down a bit now, Joey took the silence to admire Niklas’s care for him. He really did love Joey, and Joey loved him too. Joey didn’t deserve him, but they’d been together over a decade, and didn’t seem anywhere close to falling out of love. 

“Sorry…” Benji apologize in a small voice. 

“It’s not your fault, Ben. I’m just...not right in the head.” Joey explained. He wasn’t very open with that aspect of him with his grandchildren. After all, they were all still children. 

“But you’re perfect still, Joey.” Niklas complimented. Joey had never been able to tell why Niklas thought that. 

Yet, coming from Niklas’s mouth, from his beautiful mind, Joey could pretend that was true, for maybe a moment. If he’d been perfect though, he would have been far too old for Niklas when they met, instead of look similar ages. But if he’d been perfect, a lot of people wouldn’t have suffered.    
  
They made it home, and Niklas got Joey into bed, and cuddled up to him, nuzzling under his neck. Benji crawled in with them, snuggling close to Joey, still apologetic. 

And for the man who ruined everything, feeling loved despite Joey knowing he deserved none that he received, was rather nice. 

He wouldn’t have it any other way. 

**Author's Note:**

> Would you believe Niklas knows everything Joey did and still loves him? He has a rather large heart. Joey getting a 'happy ending' though, well, believe me, he did pay for his actions, but he's been allowed to repay his debt to the world.


End file.
